It is well known to tone electrostatic latent images contained on photoconductive or dielectric surfaces by application thereto of electroscopic marking particles. It is also known to have electroscopic marking particles in dry form which can be fixed by pressure onto the photoconductor which may comprise a sheet of paper coated with photoconductive Zinc Oxide in a resinous binder or which electroscopic marking particles can be transferred from the photoconductor onto plain paper and affixed thereto by pressure. Electroscopic marking particles which can be fixed by pressure are generally referred to as pressure fixing dry toner.
Pressure fixing dry toner compositions of encapsulated and non-encapsulated type are also well known. Encapsulated toners are disclosed for instance in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,080,250, 3,080,251, 3,080,318, 3,893,932 and 3,893,933. Pressure fixing toners of non-encapsulated type are disclosed for instance in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,788,994, 3,804,764, 3,873,325, 3,903,320 and 3,925,219.
Encapsulated dry toners of the prior art methods disclosed have inherent limitations with regards particle size control, quantity and type of coloring matter which can be encapsulated, capsular shell thickness and inertness.
In each of the prior art disclosures the fixing pressures disclosed are very high, being generally within the range 200-500 pounds/lineal inch. In the past it was considered that pressure fixing toners were of necessity formulated to require high fixing pressure in order that such materials should possess suitable physical characteristics for normal handling purposes.